Philip McKeon

Philip Anthony McKeon (November 11, 1964 – December 10, 2019) was an American child actor, best known for his role as Tommy Hyatt, the son of the title character on the television sitcom Alice from 1976 to 1985.

McKeon was born in Westbury, New York, the son of Barbara and Donald McKeon, a travel agent. His younger sister is actress Nancy McKeon. They are not related to actor Doug McKeon. McKeon's professional career began when he was 4 as a print model. His parents took him and Nancy, then age 2, to a nearby modeling audition, and he began his career as a child model, appearing in magazines, newspapers, and television commercials. Over the next several years, he landed numerous modeling stints, followed by several parts on stage and in films. McKeon played baseball with Benoit Benjamin in 1975 in Little League summer camp in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

McKeon's big break was when Linda Lavin, who played Alice, first saw Philip at a Broadway performance of Medea and Jason (1974), thought he was bright and talented, and recommended him for the part of Tommy on Alice. Alice was the television adaptation of (based on) the Oscar-winning performance by Ellen Burstyn in the film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Robert Getchell.

After Alice ended in 1985, McKeon continued to make periodic acting appearances, including Sandman (1993) and Ghoulies IV (1994). He also produced or directed a few films, such as Teresa's Tattoo (1994), which starred his sister Nancy McKeon, Murder in the First (1995), and The Young Unknowns (2000).

After 2000, McKeon worked on radio, first in the news department at KFWB AM 980 in Los Angeles and then as co-host of morning radio show The Breakfast Taco on KWVH-LP 94.1FM in Wimberley, Texas.

McKeon was named in a few magazines as a teen idol.

McKeon died in Texas on December 10, 2019, following a long illness. He was 55 years old.